Leafs and Canadiens…Rangers and Devils. Some teams just weren’t meant to get along. Historic hockey rivalries have captivated pucknuts for decades, but nothing will prepare them for the hard-hitting action they’re about to embark on. Microsoft Game Studios announced that “NHL Rivals 2004”, their first-ever hockey title made exclusively for Xboxâ as part of Microsoft’s XSN Sports brand, is now available at retail stores across North America. NHL perennial all-star Steve Yzerman will serve as both the cover athlete and spokesperson for the game.

Specialist online games developer CAT Games has finalised an agreement with the NHL to launch an updated version of the online Ice Hockey management game called SeniorLeagueHockey. SeniorLeagueHockey.com is now the Premier Online Management Game of the NHL and is navigable directly from www.NHL.com. SeniorLeagueHockey.com has already attracted over 100,000 active managers, and the number is growing rapidly.

Playing on accurately diagrammed rinks, players will get cheers and jeers from the realistic crowd that reacts to the action on the ice. Additionally, an upgraded Franchise Mode allows players to build a Dynasty and manage every aspect of the team; a re-tooled Hockey School Mode teaches and tests gamers' hockey skills; and a Multi-player Tournament Mode allows gamers to set up tournaments with up to 16 teams. Read more for the full review ...

Midway Sports announced today that NHL Hitz Pro, the re-invented version of the NHL Hitz videogame franchise, shipped today for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube. The head-to-head online play in NHL Hitz Pro features online player rankings and tournaments. NHL Hitz Pro also includes 100 percent NHL legitimate, 23-man player rosters that bring together pro players and authentic team lines with real offensive and defensive team formations in precise correlation with each NHL team.

Midway Sports announced it will kick-off a national sweepstakes that gives hockey fans a chance to win a 2004 Dodge Durango on December 10, 2003, among other prizes. Read more for details ...

Electronic Arts today announced that NHL 2004, the #1 selling Pro Hockey franchise, has shipped to retail under the EA SPORTS brand. The 12th installment of EA's legendary hockey franchise, NHL 2004 is now available for the PlayStation2, the Xbox, GameCube, and PC.

Midway Sports announced today that NHL Hitz Pro will feature cover athlete Nicklas Lidstrom, star defenseman of the Detroit Red Wings, as well as coaching legend Scotty Bowman. NHL Hitz Pro, the reinvented version of the successful NHL Hitz videogame franchise, is in development and scheduled to ship September 25, 2003 for the PlayStation2, the Xbox and Nintendo GameCube.

ESPN Videogames today announced that the highly acclaimed ESPN NHL Hockey is now available at major video game retailers across North America. Continuing the high standard of sports realism and video game entertainment of the ESPN Videogames brand, ESPN NHL Hockey delivers speed, action and excitement to hockey fans. ESPN NHL Hockey and other ESPN Videogames titles are produced by Visual Concepts - Sega's sports developer.

EA has released a playable demo, featuring a single game between Anaheim & New Jersey. NHL 2004 brings professional hockey to life like never before, with crisp passes, searing slap-shots, and a variety of new ways to check your opponent to regain control of the puck. With the addition of international leagues and a Dynasty Mode that lets you build a powerhouse, NHL 2004 is the hockey fan's dream come true. Read more for download links ...

This year’s NHL 2004 includes a new fight system, new hitting animations, and complete right analog stick control with improved deking and hitting that makes it the most physical hockey game ever. With a significantly enhanced EA SPORTS Dynasty Mode, the addition of three new international elite leagues, and all new commentary from Craig Simpson, NHL 2004 puts players in the rink for authentic hockey competition.Take the ice with NHL 2004. Read more for 50+ new screens ...

Atlanta Thrashers all-star right winger Dany Heatley has reached an agreement with Electronic Arts to be the cover athlete and spokesman for its EA SPORTS NHL 2004 game. Heatley's image will be featured on NHL 2004 packaging and merchandising.

This year’s NHL 2004 includes a new fight system, new hitting animations, and complete right analog stick control with improved deking and hitting that makes it the most physical hockey game ever. With a significantly enhanced EA SPORTS Dynasty Mode, the addition of three new international elite leagues, and all new commentary from Craig Simpson, NHL 2004 puts players in the rink for authentic hockey competition.Take the ice with NHL 2004. Check these 50+ Gamecube screens ...

"ESPN NHL Hockey" introduces the all-new Skills Competition, an exhilarating new mode that'll help you show off your skills while you hone your techniques like never before. Based off the real-life Skills Competition that happens every year at the NHL All-Star Game, you'll compete in several contests: light up the puck with your best slapshot in Hardest Shot, test your puck handling ability through the vicarious cone course in Puck Control and much more. Read more for some skillful screens ...

This year’s NHL 2004 includes a new fight system, new hitting animations, and complete right analog stick control with improved deking and hitting that makes it the most physical hockey game ever. With a significantly enhanced EA SPORTS Dynasty Mode, the addition of three new international elite leagues, and all new commentary from Craig Simpson, NHL 2004 puts players in the rink for authentic hockey competition. In addition, new EA SPORTS online gameplay for the PS2 takes competition nationwide. Take the ice with NHL 2004.

NHL Hitz Pro includes an improved AI that is so authentic gamers will think they are playing with the NHL pros. Goalie animations, logic and behavior are realistically captured and feature everything from stick saves to stoning a knee-buckling 5-hole shot to slapping the ice with five seconds left in a power play. Gamers also have the ability to score from anywhere on the ice and will feel the tension and strain of NHL action with a new Player Fatigue System that causes them to tire out after experiencing tough checks. Check the new load of screens for each platform ...

Our buddies at VE3D send over the following MicroSoft announcement. Historic hockey rivals will face-off this week as the quest for the coveted Stanley Cup begins. With intense NHL Playoff battles opening throughout the league, Microsoft Game Studios announced today its first hockey title for the Xbox, "NHL Rivals 2004." The game is scheduled to “go top shelf” in stores this fall. “NHL Rivals 2004” will have all the modes of play that hockey fans want including single game, playoff mode, season mode and online play. Read more for details and the first batch of screens ...

Midway Sports announced that it has refocused its league-licensed sports products to appeal to a broader sports gaming audience. NHL Hitz Pro, the re-invented version of the NHL Hitz franchise, is in development and scheduled to ship in fall 2003 for the PS2, the Xbox, NGC & GBA. Midway Sports also announced that it has refocused its league-licensed sports brands to appeal to a broader sports gaming audience. NFL Blitz Pro, the reinvented iteration of the popular NFL Blitz videogame franchise, is scheduled to ship in fall 2003 for the PlayStation2, the Xbox & NGC. Read more for details ...

SEGA of America, Inc. announced the release of "SEGA Sports NHL 2K3" for the GameCube. As the most true-to-life hockey simulation, "SEGA Sports NHL 2K3" successfully replicates the sport's details such as lifelike goalie maneuvers, strategic line changes, battling for the puck against the boards and extensive individual player and team attributes that result in ultra-realistic play. Produced by Visual Concepts Entertainment, a SEGA development studio, and developed by Treyarch LLC, "SEGA Sports NHL 2K3" provides the features that hockey fans covet, from an in-depth Franchise Mode and full lineup of NHL and International teams to its authentic ESPN telecast-style presentation.

MindComet, the industry leading new media solutions provider, today announced that it has designed and developed an online game in support of the Nextel/National Hockey League All-Star Challenge. The Nextel/NHL All-Star Challenge is a national shootout competition, taking place in 11 NHL team markets and through a national sweepstakes (U.S. residents only) over a three-month period. The competition will culminate at the 2003 NHL All-Star Weekend presented by Nextel in Sunrise, Fla., where one fan will have the opportunity to shoot against Tampa Bay Lightning star goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin for $250,000.

The fast, furious hockey action that has made 989 Sports' NHL FaceOff franchise a hockey heavyweight returns loaded with all the thunderous checks and precision passing and an even more savvy computer when NHL FaceOff 2003 hits the ice for the PlayStation 2 on October 15. The NHL FaceOff franchise has long been known for delivering a hockey game that is a realistic hockey simulation featuring fast gameplay combined with tight, intuitive play controls, and NHL FaceOff 2003 is once again up to the challenge and further pushes these boundaries.

Midway Sports, the sports brand of leading software industry publisher and developer Midway Games Inc. announced today that NHL Hitz 20-03, the next iteration in the NHL Hitz franchise, has shipped for the Game Boy Advance. NHL Hitz 20-03 is also available for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox video game system from Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube.

Electronic Arts drops the puck, kicking off the 2002-03 NHL season with the release of NHL 2003 under the EA SPORTS brand. The number one selling interactive NHL video game franchise ships its latest in the series this week on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo GameCube and PC-CD. NHL 2003 for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft ships October 8.

SEGA of America, Inc. announced today that "SEGA Sports NHL 2K3" will be online for the Xbox. Expanding upon the company's online roster of games for the new next-generation consoles, "SEGA Sports NHL 2K3" marks the ninth online game that SEGA will deliver this year allowing gamers to play online head-to-head against friends (or foes!) across the country. With the most experience in online console gaming, SEGA will deliver more online console games than any other company in 2002. Additionally, SEGA is the first and only company to deliver online content to all three of the new consoles including PlayStation2, the Xbox and GameCube.

Tiscali Games got a Playable demo of NHL 2003 that features one single player game using Carolina and Detroit. Most of in-game options (icing, offside etc.) are not accessible, only auto/manual shooting and three difficulty levels. DirectX 8.1 is required to run this 49MB demo.

Sega has announced that they have shipped NHL 2K2 nation-wide for the Dreamcast! Read more below!